Shadow's Claim

the tournament, but saving his life. When I have Caspion at the point of my sword, you’ll plead mercy. And then the tournament will be ended.”

Mercy? “But I thought there was some way for it to be a draw between you and Cas.”

“Then you were mistaken. There must be a victor.”

“I have no idea what Cas will do. Vampire, he’s very proud. He was a foundling, has had to work his way up in the world. This plea might be intolerable for him. He could lash out.”

And Cas had been getting stronger with each kill. Though she was under no illusion that he could defeat the vampire, Cas might not be easy to subdue without hurting himself in the process.

“All will be well,” Daciano said. “I have this under control.”

If she’d known this information a little sooner, she could have sat Cas down and tried to explain the situation to him, to persuade him to accept it. Now she’d be lucky if she found him before the match at all. “There’s absolutely no way to have a tie?”

Daciano shoved his fingers through his disheveled hair. Voice growing louder with each word, he asked, “I’ve found a way to save his life, and that’s not good enough for you?”

“I-I just wish I had known.” He’d never raised his voice to her.

“Why? What would have changed?” His eyes flashed black with fury. “Last night in your bed?”

She swallowed. “I-I know you’ve been under a lot of pressure. And I don’t want to fight with you. I should probably let you rest.”

“You’re going to find Caspion then!”

She thought about lying, considering all avenues to smooth this over. But she refused to be browbeaten. If this vampire wanted to share her life, then he’d best understand that Cas would always have a place in it. “First I’m going to see Raum—so he’ll know to end the fight when he hears the plea. But then, I am going to talk to Cas, to explain this to him. Otherwise, he might do something hotheaded and charge you. I just want to make sure that you’ll both come out of this unharmed.”

Menace rolled off the vampire. “You don’t trust me to control what happens in the ring against a whelp like him?”

“Whelp?” His condescension rankled.

“I’ve told you to trust me, Bettina.”

Her chin shot up. “And I’ve told you I need to take this to my friend, out of caution.”

His fangs sharpened, glinting in the firelight. “Always you think of Caspion!”

Perhaps she had been deluded to think she could bridge the distance between Daciano and Cas. “Please, just calm down—”

“Calm down? Do you know how many times that phrase has been uttered to me? Never. You’ve got me on the razor’s edge, Princess!” He gave a bitter laugh, and she thought he muttered, “Backsliding.”

If she’d ever wondered what a blood-starved, exhausted, jealous Dacian would look like . . . behold. She’d try one more attempt at reason. “Trehan, I am grateful for what you’ve done. I should have told you that. Like I said, I don’t want to argue with you. But there are other things to consider. I’m just trying to prepare everyone involved. I know better than anyone the danger of being unprepared.”

At that, he inhaled deeply, clearly making an effort to rein in his temper. “I will speak to Raum. Afterward, I’ll escort you to the ring.”

“No, that wouldn’t be right. This round might be a formality, but—”

“Eşti a mea, Bettina!” He gripped her shoulders, bringing her face close to his. “You are already mine. Forever, you belong to me!”

She remembered something else Salem had said: The cold ones go big. “Vampire, be practical. The people might take cues from me and back you more than they already do.” No one to cheer for Caspion? He’d fought hard to advance this far in the tournament, risking his life repeatedly—he’d earned some consideration.

And he’s about to lose so much.

“Your people should take cues from you.”

“What I mean is that everyone will think I’m siding with you over Cas.” Perception is reality.

“You are!”

She shook her head. “It’s not that simple.”

“It is! Then you’re not choosing me over him?”

The vampire’s already driving the wedge! “Don’t put it like that! And don’t put my back against the wall over this!” Bettina would be damned if they set this precedent. With your actions, you train others how to treat you. “Cas will have a place in my future—resign yourself.”

“Do you or don’t you choose me?”

“You’re not being fair to me, and you’re not hearing me!” He seemed to interpret everything she said as: I want Cas. “I choose both of you—for different things. Trehan, I can’t turn my back on him just because of how I feel about you—”

“Not good enough!” he snapped. In a softer tone, he added, “There will be only one male in your life—me. Tonight in the ring, I will explain this to Caspion. By the time his bones mend, he’ll fear ever to look at you again.”

“Enough!” she cried. “What is wrong with you?” Where is my tender, gentle vampire from last night? “You’re about to get everything—this victory, your Bride, the entire kingdom. Cas gets nothing! And now you want to grind him under your boot? In front of our people? I won’t have it! Show some compassion!”

“You feel that for him!” The vampire grasped her nape, studying her face with eyes gone black as pitch. “What other feelings linger?”

“Of course I feel compassion for him! We’ve shared years of friendship.”

“It’s my right to win this night!”

“Yes, it is—but that doesn’t mean you have to crush my best friend to do it.”

“One day, Bettina, I will reach my limit with this.” He brushed her hair back, then straightened her mask. His touch was tender even as his words were harsh: “You’d best make your plea ring out, lest I rip him apart with these hands.” Then he traced away.

Chapter 41

Still shaken by Daciano’s behavior, Bettina had found Raum and hastily explained the clause. He’d been bemused but accepting, deferring to her in everything—as if she were already queen.

As if he couldn’t wait to have another rule. It was a little unnerving.

Next, Bettina set out to find Cas, locating him near the entrance to the sanctum. His rowdy friends were pumping him up, punching his torso as they yelled encouragement: “Gut that fucking leech!” “A pair of fangs to start your collection!” They rammed his horns, spurring his aggression, his instinctive need for a fresh kill.

“I have to talk to you, Cas.”

He traced over. “What is it? I’m about to go in.”

There was no easy way to put this. “What if I told you there was a mercy clause in the rules, an out for one of the contestants?”

“What are you talking about?”

“If Daciano gets you at sword point, then I can plead mercy, sparing your life. But it will disqualify you from the tournament.”

Cas’s eyes went wild. “Don’t you dare use that for me!”

“Just wait—”